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Topic: Rappel Mistake - Double Check Always (Read 2509 times)

Pretty much the only choices I had were 8s and Sticht plates. And hip belays, which we used routinely for the first few years. (I've even done high angle Dulfer's--not recommended, though good to know if/when things go to crap). Al, you can belay just fine with an 8: Shove a bight through the little hole and clip it to a locker. Just like an ATC, and wouldn't twist the rope as bad as a Sticht, which was really bad. I never had much issue with twisting the ropes rapping with an 8, but as soon as Tubers came out i was on it.

And little tri-cams rock. Funny how all of Rotert's old death routes in NC became reasonable (sort of) when tri-cams and TCUs came out. If you don't carry at least the red and 'Little Pinky' (official mascot of the HPSC), you're just a dad blamed fool. Granted, the big ones aren't good for much besides whacking sport climbers upside the head.

There are actually a few pretty cool tricks you can do with a Fig 8 as long as you climb with single rope. Always use the little hole as a stich plate for belay. throw a quick half hitch around the big end of the 8 to secure your leader while you change film and play with the shutter speed, aperature and manuel focus.

The story is that when they were developing Big Green, Whitney got way high and run out in the vertical water groove on their new route, and just when desperation was starting to verge into madness he found a constriction in the groove where he could cam his 8 in and hang on that for balance while he hand drilled. Sounds about par for Big Green.